BRAGGING rights went to cycle racer Richard Binks who produced an impressive seventh place finish in his first outing for Holme Valley Wheelers.
Binks and Ben Kellett, from Holme Valley, and Mark Buckingham, Andy Pearson, Paul Smith, Matt Green and Ivan Boyes from Star Wheelers competed in the Aire Valley Cycles Road Race on Sunday near Oxenhope.
With 174 metres of climbing on each of the seven laps of a nine kilometre circuit, this was one for the mountain goats and not the sprinters.
The race split into three groups after the second ascent of the main climb with Binks and Buckingham in the leading group.
Green and Smith ended up in the third group along with Kellet.
Pearson and Boyes formed another group which then split even further on other laps.
As Binks shone by finishing seventh, there was also reward for Buckingham who was 11th in only his second road race.
The race was won by David Shackleton from Cottingham Coureurs.
Star Wheelers’ David Longbottom and Dan Akam, and Oliver Futrell (from Holme Valley) rode in the Youth race in Round One of the British Mountain Bike Series in Sherwood Pines.
On a flat but technical course, Futrell finished 17th, eight minutes behind the winner, Grant Ferguson, riding for Dooley’s Cycles.
Akam and Longbottom finished 28th and 29th respectively.
